BFGoodrich provides latexes for all your nonwoven needs.

As you develop nonwoven products, we at BFGoodrich develop new latexes to help you. Thanks to our extensive R&D efforts, we have expanded our broad line of latex products to meet the ever more demanding requirements of the nonwovens industry. We have also sharpened our process controls and manufacturing efficiencies. As a quality producer of a broad line of latex products, we will maintain a leadership position well into the future.

New Developments

We have a family of new flame-retarding plasticizer-free Geon vinyl latexes. They are heat-reactive latexes for paper, textile and nonwoven applications where glammability, resilience and water-resistance are the critical properties. These new products join our family of plasticizer-free latexes, developed for applications where the presence of plasticizers may be undesirable because of their potential extraction or migration.

We also added new heat-moldable latexes for the nonwoven market. These are finding application for automotive, filter and textile uses - particularly as resin replacement systems. In recent years, the presence or evolution of formaldehyde has been the cause of government regulation and product modifications. For many years, BFGoodrich has produced formaldehyde-free vinyl chloride and acrylonitrile butadiene latexes. BFGoodrich also has new reactive formaldehyde-free acrylic latexes to expand the choices available to the nonwoven producer.

Broad Product Line

The number of applications for nonwovens is rapidly expanding and we have four lines of versatile latexes to meet the industry's ever-changing demands:

Geon Vinyl Chloride Latexes - These emulsions of vinyl chloride and vinylidene chloride copolymers are designed for coating, impregnation and saturation of fibrous materials such as nonwovens, textiles and paper. Their resilience, adhesion to polyester, resistance to laundering and drycleaning solvent, flame-retardant capabilities and good color retention make them excellent binders for highloft nonwovens as well as nonwoven coatings.

Hycar Acrylic Latexes - This varied latex line features a broad range of glass transition temperatures (-55-103 [degrees] C). These emulsions of acrylate copolymers combine properties such as heat reactivity, excellent adhesion characteristics and wet and dry strength. As nonwoven binders, they offer durability, light and heat resistance and good resistance to drycleaning solvents.

Hycar Nitrile Latexes - These acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymers help finished nonwovens achieve a pleasant, soft hand, high tensile strength and dry-cleanability. Hycar nitrile latexes are distinguished by the combination of solvent, oil resistance and resilience that they may impart to nonwoven fabrics.

HyStretch Elastomeric Latexes - These unique elastic materials have the unusual ability to stretch and recover better than most rubber latexes. They also have excellent heat and light stability properties. When applied to nonwovens, these binders lend resiliency and liveliness, as well as ultra softness and durability.

Applications Development

Latexes are giving nonwoven fabrics added benefits in a variety of application areas:

High Loft Products - Geon vinyl latexes can be used to bind high-loft polyester nonwovens. A properly fused nonwoven pad will have resiliency, loft retention and flame retardancy. In addition, Geon latexes render these nonwovens formaldehyde-free, washable and dry-cleanable.

Filters - Lofty nonwoven fabrics, bonded with Geon and our Hycar latexes, are ideal for use in flame-retarded and industrial air filter applications. Many of these latexes have broad FDA acceptance, such as 177.2260 for use in filters for milk and potable water.

Medical/Surgical Products - Surgical drapes demand a very soft latex binder. Surgical packs consisting of face masks, hand towels, etc., are composed entirely of single-use disposable nonwovens. Hycar latexes help develop quality nonwovens for medical applications with low levels of lint and emulsifier.

Semi-Durable Towels - Binders made with Hycar latexes give the extra advantage of oil and solvent resistance to industrial towels. In addition, they offer wet tensile strength, abrasion resistance and soft hand. For household towels, Hycar acrylic latexes provide toughness and solvent resistance.

Other Products - Latex binders provide a host of added benefits to a vast number of nonwoven products. Interlinings, sleeping bag fillers, scouring pads, disposable diapers, personal hygiene products, fabric softener sheets, synthetic leather, permanent care tags and wallcoverings are just a few application areas where latex binders can improve the strength and flexibility of nonwovens products.

Consistent Manufacturing

Quality

BFGoodrich has latex manufacturing facilities in Louisville, Kentucky; Akron, Ohio; Avon Lake, Ohio; and Pedricktown, New Jersey. These manufacturing facilities are dedicated to meeting our customers' needs for a uniform latex product. These plant locations position BFGoodrich Specialty Polymers and Chemicals Division as a dependable supplier of quality latex products - the same every time - now and in the future.

Let us know how we can help you with your latex needs. Contact The BFGoodrich Company, Specialty Polymers & Chemicals Division, Nonwoven Marketing Manager, 9911 Brecksville Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44141-3247 or call 1-800-331-1144.